The main character of "Ahiru no Sora" is a 150cm tall basketball player named Kurumatani Sora. In a sport where height counts, Kurumatani's physique is a disadvantage, but he is able to compete with his opponents using his natural basketball sense. Kurumatani Sora is a fascinating character not only as a basketball player, but also for his personality and past. In this article, we will introduce the charms of Kurumatani Sora, the main character of "Ahiru no Sora".
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha/"Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
1. Basketball players in the 150cm range
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha / Ahiru no Sora Production Committee
Kurumatani Sora's greatest characteristic is her height of 150cm, which is a disadvantage when playing basketball. In fact, until she entered Kuzuryu High School, she was not able to play basketball as she wanted. After entering high school, many things happened, but she was able to join the basketball club. Although she is not blessed with height, Sora uses her three-point shot, low drive, and game-making skills to compete with players bigger than her. He himself says, "I'm going to become the best smallest player in Japan...!!" and does not seem to mind being born with a small body at all. It may be worth watching because it is a manga about small players, who are rare in basketball.
2. He's good at 3P shots
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha/"Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
One of Sora's best plays is the 3-point shot. His success rate is far superior to others, and his high accuracy more than makes up for the handicap of his height. According to Chiaki, Sora has exceptional depth perception, which is essential for a shooter, and his three-point shots are a threat to opponents. He also makes use of boss hand (two-handed shots) and quick shots taught to him by Coach Sakata to make shots that are harder for opponents to block and highly accurate. To master these three-point shots, Sora practices 1,000 shots every day. You could say that Sora's wings are the result of extraordinary effort.
3. Greediness to seek guidance from the enemy
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha / "Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
Sora's charm is his greediness to ask for guidance if he thinks it is necessary, regardless of whether it is an enemy or a friend. Sora was originally good at three-point shots, but he was worried that his small physique was causing him to be blocked by opponents more often. So, in order to master the stop-and-shoot technique that Kitasumiyoshi High School's ace Kamachi Taro is good at, and to counter blocks, he visits Taro and asks him to teach him the stop-and-shoot technique directly. Taro himself knows that it's best not to throw salt at his opponents, but he is inspired by Sora's attitude and stays after school to practice, showing Sora how to teach him his own special technique. Sora's attitude towards basketball is really straightforward, and sometimes it can have an impact on people.
4. Caring for his mother
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha / "Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
The story of Sora and his mother cannot be left out when talking about Kurumatani Sora. Sora's mother is Kurumatani Yuka, a former member of the Japanese women's national basketball team, but when Sora was young, she fell seriously ill, retired from playing, and became bedridden. As a child, Sora wanted to become a basketball player, but was unhappy with his small stature, and would often take out his frustrations on his mother. Gradually, he learned about his mother's condition and that he could still fight even though he was small, and as he grew closer to his mother, he entered high school. After the first Inter-High match against Shinjo Towa, Sora visited Yuka, whose condition had suddenly worsened, and the final conversation between her and her mother was impossible to watch without crying.
5. I hate lies about illnesses
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha / "Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
Sora, whose mother has an illness, understands better than anyone the pain of those who want to play basketball but can't. Therefore, more than anything, he hates being lied about using his illness to his advantage. When Mokichi Kaname first appeared, Mokichi was invited to join the basketball club, but he refused, citing illness as an excuse, but it was later revealed that this was a lie, and Sora was furious. Mokichi thought it was just a convenient way to turn down invitations, but Sora could not forgive this lie. Later, after learning about Mokichi's past, Mokichi regained his passion for basketball and expressed his desire to join the basketball club, but Sora was against it. As a condition for joining, Mokichi was required to win a one-on-one match against Sora, and with his desperate efforts, he won the match, which recognized his enthusiasm and allowed him to join the club.
6. He's pretty stupid outside of basketball.
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha / "Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
When it comes to basketball, Sora Kurumatani is the hardest worker and has a weapon that overwhelms others, but outside of basketball, he shows a rather stupid side. First of all, his grades at school are always just barely failing, so he's not something to be praised for. He also trusts people easily and is always fooled by Chiaki and others. To put it in a positive way, I think he has a straightforward personality, but his stupid side is quite noticeable.
7. He cares about his friends and believes in them
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha/"Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
Sora has a straightforward personality when it comes to basketball, but above all else, he cares about his friends and never forgets to believe in them. This attitude gives courage to his teammates even during a match, and even if they are at a disadvantage, they can regain their momentum. One episode that symbolizes Sora is when the basketball club is suspended after burning down the clubroom after losing the Inter-High. The Kuzu High basketball club splits into two groups: those who burned it down and those who were not involved. Sora, who was not involved, would likely show anger and dismay at Momoharu and the others for burning down the clubroom, but because he believes in Momoharu and the others' passion for basketball, he reaches out to them and says, ``Let's work hard together again.'' Sora's attitude of always thinking about and believing in his teammates makes him ideal in a team sport.
8. A strong heart that never gives up
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha / "Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
Sora's strength is that he always looks forward in any situation and shows a never-give-up attitude. No matter how unlucky he is in the game, his attitude of always looking forward and aiming for victory gives courage to his team. His teammates say that there is no one more encouraging than him, and Sora's presence is a big part of the Kuzu High basketball club. Sora's attitude is probably related to the fact that he has continued playing basketball despite his small body. No matter when he faces adversity, Sora has always been able to overcome it and move forward. It is because of these experiences that he has acquired such a straightforward and never-give-up spirit.
9. The person Yabuuchi Madoka admires
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha / "Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
Sora admires Yabuuchi Madoka, a member of the girls' basketball club. When she first joined the basketball club, Madoka was the only one among the delinquents who didn't want to play basketball who was on Sora's side. Despite this, Sora has confessed to Madoka once. Sora had clearly told her that he liked her, but all he got in response was a "thank you," so in the end it wasn't even a confession. It was Sora's first broken heart. Incidentally, Madoka herself has feelings for Momoharu.
10. She grows a little in the story
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata/Kodansha/"Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
At the beginning of the series, Sora's height was 149.22 cm, less than 150 cm. For Sora, whose weakness is height, growing taller is very important, but Sora grows a little bit in the story. Her first growth spurt was in volume 15, when she reached 150cm for the first time and was congratulated by all the club members. Now she's grown a little more and is on the verge of reaching 155cm. By the way, when filling out the team roster for matches, she writes her height as 160cm, which she reads as "slightly taller."
Summary
Source: Ahiru no Sora ©Takeshi Hinata, Kodansha / "Ahiru no Sora" Production Committee
The protagonist of "Ahiru no Sora", Sora Kurumatani, is 150cm tall, but she doesn't consider it a handicap, and she fights her opponents as a basketball player with her mental strength and weapons such as the three-point shot. It is because of the protagonist who faces such adversity that "Ahiru no Sora" stands out. It has been decided that "Ahiru no Sora" will be made into an anime, and it will be interesting to see how the main character, Sora Kurumatani, will be portrayed.
